Author: Kieran Morris


Charity Challenge appoints Slingshot Sponsorship to boost commercial revenue 3rd November, 2016

Charity Challenge, the charity expedition company behind the Red Nose Kilimanjaro Climb for Comic Relief, is launching its next series of world first expeditions and has appointed Slingshot Sponsorship to manage its commercial rights for the official kick-off to the series – a trek through the Andes Mountains in Peru to the mystical Inca city of Machu Picchu in October 2017.

Slingshot Sponsorship, the award-winning commercialised marketing agency, will handle all commercial rights and partner opportunities, ahead of the 2017 expedition.

Charity Challenge, which has raised almost £50m for numerous worthy causes, is creating an epic challenge with a star-packed group of celebrities to take on the trek to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site one of the most famous destinations on the globe. At the end of the challenge, under the stars and amongst breath-taking scenery, an intimate concert will be performed by a Global Superstar – who is soon to be revealed.

This will be the first in a series of nationally and internationally produced documentaries that will be shown on various broadcasters with one main aim, to raise life changing funds for a globally recognised charity.

“We’re delighted to have Slingshot Sponsorship join the Charity Challenge team. The entire agency truly understands our unique vision for this series of ground breaking events” said Simon Albert, Managing Director at Charity Challenge. “I’m confident that with Slingshot’s support we can continue to grow our specialist challenge events commercially through partnerships and ensure we maximise the potential to raise vital funds for worthwhile causes.”

Slingshot Sponsorship enhances its clients’ commercial rights by uncovering new value through development and creation of sponsorship assets – supporting an execution that is mutually beneficial as well as sustainable.

“Charity Challenge have an innovative and unique approach to raising much needed funds for global causes,” said Jackie Fast, Founder and Managing Director of Slingshot Sponsorship. “Charity Challenge and Slingshot have a shared interest in creating unique ways of shaking up a traditional fundraising market, so watch this space.”

Commercial opportunities are now available for the 2017 Machu Picchu expedition.

 


You’ve got to do your research! 19th October, 2016

In an extremely over-crowded market, sourcing sponsorship requires skill, patience and of course, research. The majority of rights holders looking for sponsorship will approach a brand and tell them how their event is the best, but do they know that for sure.

Scope it out

There are thousands of sports teams, events and charities all competing for the same sponsors, therefore, it is crucial to actively look at what others are doing in the market.

If a company were looking to release a new product, the first thing they would do is ensure the market is thoroughly analysed, assessing what their competitors are offering and at what price.

What’s in their basket?

Understanding your competitors offering is the best start point for any rights holder. In this cluttered market, it is important to know what you are up against and how you can then position your own offering, focusing on your unique assets.

Go along to events, visit other teams/properties and even try to get your hands on their proposals. If you do this and find that you haven’t got any unique assets to offer then you need to invest time into uncovering them, as every rights holder will have something unique to offer. Without this insight, you will be entering the market blind, with no idea of whether you are over-selling, under-selling, or if your offering can provide a brand with something no-one else can.

Make sure you identify the correct competitors when doing research. It isn’t just cross-industry or direct competitors; sponsorship is a universal industry so you will be competing with rights-holders from multiple sectors. A local sports team might be competing with a national event, if they approach the same brand. Think outside the box and broaden your research.

The Price is Right

Although valuation is determined on numerous methodologies, the rights fee is also impacted based on the competitive landscape. If your rights fee is to too high then brands will be put off, too low and your platform is undervalued, reducing the revenue you can gain.

Right’s holders need to ensure their whole package is priced correctly within the market, so it is vital to benchmark this against industry standards.

Within a competitive landscape, any rights holder regardless of industry or size, should first research the market, make adjustments and ensure their platform stands out for the right reasons.


Sponsorship in CSR – Is it effective or a ruse? 15th August, 2016

Some of the biggest players in the sponsorship market are either moving away from traditional sporting platforms or are bolstering their CSR policies with social and cultural sponsorship. CSR used to be about managing areas that a brand could twist in their favour to generate positive headlines and is typically solely focused on public image. It could be said that some brands simply invest into platforms as they think it will make them look like they are making a difference.

With the increased focus on the environment, businesses are invested in embedding the sustainable, charitable, cultural and social sponsorship in their CSR policies. This can bolster their offering and help increase customer loyalty, public perception and employee engagement.

The primary objective of sponsorship in this space is generally not to drive revenue for the brand, but this can of course happen. In essence, these CSR policies are used to communicate to the wider audience that the business i.e. Banks, Oil Companies and Hedge Funds are giving back to the community and the wider ecosystem.

A large majority of CSR sponsorship takes place geographically close to the sponsors HQ. The main reason for this is so the brand can be seen to be involved with its local community and help encourage local or smaller not for profit businesses. Brands will also use these sponsorships to encourage employees to partake in wholesome activities to enrich their lives and ultimately, for effective employee engagement.

But can sponsorship within CSR actually make a difference to public image of the brand, benefit the rights holder and, in turn, help the wider community?

A perfect example of how this can backfire is BP’s recent withdrawal from sponsorship of their 27 year relationship with the Tate Gallery.

From the very beginning the partnership was tainted with regular protests and criticism. It was difficult to see how BP were involved with these institutions other than to try to improve public perception of the company. A company that is seen to only care about profits and continually harm the environment.

It was revealed that BP’s financial contribution to the gallery was between £150k-£330k per year, and their main reason for withdrawal was due to tightened budgets. So, it can be forgiven that the public didn’t really see this as a real reason when in 2015 BP’s CEO was awarded a $1.4m cash bonus! In this case, it also reflects negatively on the rights holder. They have the power whether or not they approve a brand as a sponsor and it must be more than just the money.

For a successful sponsorship to happen, not just within CSR, there must be a genuine alignment and a visible proof the brands involvement is benefiting the rights holder. These sponsorships can naturally unlock unique assets from the rights holder such as providing the opportunity to offer money can’t buy experiences to client’s such as late night gallery viewings, interviews with artists or even just a different space to conduct board meetings.

Once a strong proposition has been created and integrated then the sponsor can start to think about generating an ROI. Otherwise it is essentially sponsoring with the hope it can make a difference to the brands public image.


Uncovering the real assets in Sailing Sponsorship 15th July, 2016

With the Clipper Round the World race generating in excess of £4.7m media value per team and the Volvo Ocean Race generating over £45m in media, you can be forgiven for thinking that sponsorship in sailing is just a global billboard on water for luxury brands such as Rolex, Hugo Boss and Prada.  However, if you strip back the big numbers, it’s actually a platform that can deliver unrivalled engagement through unique assets that can’t be found in the Formula1 pit lane.

It’s All About Big Data.

Data is changing the world and brands who are heavily developing this area (SAP, Salesforce, IBM) are using it. Often overlooked, the value of data in races such as the Volvo Ocean Race are crucial for delivering a stand at the podium.  Being a one-design race means that other than visually, there are no differences in the boats – it’s a level playing field. Consolidating and making use of data gathered in remote areas such as the middle of the ocean truly showcase the capability of data-driven businesses – turning data into insight, and insight into narrative.

Sponsorship of platforms that require a data-led approach are everywhere and most recently at Wimbledon with IBM, a partnership that has been in place for over 25 years. Through this sponsorship, IBM utilises the need for turning thousands of pieces of data, from multiple courts, into insight and narrative immediately. Alongside this they also integrate security products, servers and cognitive capabilities.

Everyone Wants an Experience

Formula 1 provides unrivalled hospitality with Michelin star chefs, the thrill of the pit-lane and the chance to watch races in exotic locations. Sailing also offers this, but due to the nature of the type of competition, there is much greater flexibility providing a unique and often un-experienced opportunity to take part and actually race it against the other boats. This becomes far more accessible to not only key clients but also customers and fans in general.

Emotive Content

Perhaps something not solely unique to sailing but none the less extremely attractive is the content that can be produced from the numerous races and competitions. The Americas Cup boats dancing around in the wind with a back drop of Manhattan is an incredible image to support any marketing campaign. Storytelling has become increasingly important, whether it’s a consultancy firm trying to showcase how they influence change in a business or a sports wear brand proving their products are used by the elite athletes. Each market has become increasingly crowded and the differentiator then becomes about engaging native content.

Sailing offers a unique opportunity for brands to align with teams to showcase their own unique offering. These races are regarded as some of the toughest challenges in the world, the sailors cover whole oceans with no rest and little sleep and must do their job perfectly, whilst also working together to win. It is similar to any business, their employees each specialise in their own field, all working together for the good of the company. Sponsors can access the rights free imagery and create unique content to communicate how their company mirrors the sailors, taking individual expertise and working together to achieve their objectives.

Being Green

Sailing is also a sport with a clean and positive image, powered by natural resources. Teams are looking at new ways to reduce their environmental impact and promote conservation efforts. Sailors also have first-hand experience of the large impact pollution and waste have on the marine environment.

This provides a great opportunity for brands to align with sailing teams who aspire to have their environmental values ingrained within their ethos. Aligning with a sustainable team or race will not only improve public perception, but will also bolster their own sustainability programmes.

Because sailing offers such great media exposure, it’s often too easy to overlook the true assets that brands can capitalise on at a fairly cost-effective price tag.  Big or small, involvement in sailing sponsorship should be a consideration for all brands trying to truly engage their customers – even if they aren’t on the ocean.

If you are interested in discussing sailing sponsorship opportunities, please ensure to contact the Slingshot team on 0207 226 5052.


The Experts in Branded Content – Nike Football Presents ‘The Switch’ 13th June, 2016

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There is one piece of sponsorship activation everyone at Slingshot has been talking about, Nike Football’s ‘The Switch’.

As part of Nike’s Spark Brilliance campaign, the video features Cristiano Ronaldo as the star, alongside a further 16 professional players including Harry Kane, Anthony Martial and Javier Mascherano. Interestingly it is Adidas, not Nike, that are sponsoring the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France, but the video could certainly lead you to think otherwise!

At 5 minutes and 57 seconds, ‘The Switch’ is the longest brand film ever created by Nike Football. The length of the film allows Nike to create a compelling story, rather than a simple advert, which not only captures the imagination, but also promotes Nike Football’s brand in a truly creative way. The film is the perfect example of how to integrate brand ambassadors into activation’s effectively to create unique branded content that resonates with Nike Football’s target audience, once again sparking the debate of Official Sponsorship and its value in today’s market.

Check out the video to see why we can’t stop watching!

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